Tag: Vignettes at Large
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Jaws and galeophobia
Howard Fischer Uppsala, Sweden “Ignorance is the parent of fear.” – Herman Melville, Moby Dick An underwater tunnel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “Aquaria” photo by Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi on Flickr. CC BY 2.0. The 1975 thriller film, Jaws, takes place in a New England summer resort town. People flock to the beach,…
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Fixed schedules and no kissing: Child rearing according to Drs. Holt and Watson
Howard Fischer Uppsala, Sweden Photo by Arwan Sutanto on Unsplash “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock, MD Child rearing “experts” first appeared at the end of the nineteenth century. L. Emmett Holt, MD (1855–1924), graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1880. He decided…
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Of lice and men
Howard Fischer Uppsala, Sweden Head louse clinging onto strands of human hair. Scanning electron micrograph by Kevin Mackenzie. Wellcome Collection. CC BY 4.0. “By consistently tormenting them / with reminders of the lice in their children’s hair, the / School Physician first brought their hatred down on him / But by this familiarity they…
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Doctors’ husbands
Howard Fischer Uppsala, Sweden Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels. “Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe The stereotypical image of the “medical couple” is changing: it is no longer the doctor-husband and his nonphysician-wife. This change is permanent and will accelerate, since 60% of American…
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Paruresis: “Shy bladder” syndrome
Howard Fischer Uppsala, Sweden “Keep calm and carry on.” – British motivational poster, 1939 Sensor operated urinals, which offer very little privacy. Photo by Julo (Steve Mann) on Wikimedia. CC BY-SA 3.0. Paruresis is the fear of being unable to urinate without privacy. It is more than simple shyness or embarrassment, but is…
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Drapetomania: A “disease” that never was
Howard Fischer Uppsala, Sweden Two unidentified escaped slaves wearing ragged clothes. Photo by McPherson & Oliver, between 1861 and 1865. Liljenquist Family Collection, Library of Congress. No known restrictions on publication. “Slavery is next to hell.” – Harriet Tubman “And before I’d be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave…” – Oh, Freedom,…
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Medical marijuana, caregivers, and jail time
Remi Alli United States IStock.com/sx70 Did you know that under current laws in the United States, if you deliver medical marijuana, there is a chance you could land in jail? In some states, a caregiver can be found guilty of illegal possession of marijuana even if it has been approved for medical use. State…
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Chinese footbinding: A millennium of mutilation
Howard Fischer Uppsala, Sweden A high caste woman with her feet unwrapped. From Women Of All Nations (London & New York: Underwood & Underwood, 1911), 532. Via Wikimedia. Public domain. “Foot binding is the most incendiary and least controversial subject in modern Chinese history.”1 – Dorothy Ko, professor of History and Women’s Studies, Barnard…
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“Phossy jaw”: an industrial horror story
Howard Fischer Uppsala, Sweden Skull with jaw affected by phosphorus poisoning. Artwork by J. Bartholomew in Edinburgh Medical Journal. Wellcome Collection. Public domain. “The greatest tragedy in the whole story of occupational diseases.”1 – Donald Hunter, M.D. (1898–1978) The development of cheap, reliable, and reasonably safe matches became possible with the addition of…